In general, the electric steering lock device is mounted to the vehicle for sensing stop of the vehicle when the drive stopped drive to lock a steering column of the vehicle for preventing stolen vehicle by preventing running of the vehicle by using the steering handle.
FIGS. 1a and 1b illustrate an exploded perspective view and an inside configuration of an example of a related art electric steering lock device 1 in a vehicle, respectively.
Referring to FIGS. 1a and 1b, the related art electric steering lock device 1 in a vehicle is provided with a lock body 10 having a plurality of mounting places (No reference numerals are given) for mounting predetermined components thereto in the steering lock device 1, a plurality of components 20 respectively mounted to the mounting places of the lock body 10, and a cover unit 40 coupled to a top side of the lock body 10 having the plurality of components 20 mounted thereon.
The plurality of components 20 may be mounted to the plurality of mounting places formed on the lock body 10, or in a separate mounting housing 30 coupled to an upper side of the plurality of mounting places. In more detail, the separate mounting housing 30 may have a drive motor 21 coupled to an upper side thereof, and a socket (Not shown) coupled to a lower side thereof for applying power thereto, and the plurality of mounting places may have a first worm wheel gear 22 and a second worm wheel gear 22′ for having the power forwarded thereto from a worm gear 22 arranged at the fore end of the drive motor 21, a spur gear 23 and a lock stopper unit 24 mounted thereto together with a lock bar 25.
As known, the lock bar 25 serves to lock or unlock the steering column (Not shown) while moving up/down along a lock hole 11 formed to be in communication with an underside of the lock body 10.
In the meantime, the related art electric steering lock device 1 in a vehicle has a PCB assembly 31 provided to the mounting housing 30 for generating an electric signal if the starting of the vehicle is turned off or by operation of the user.
In this case, if the electric signal is generated, the drive motor 21 is come into operation by a non-illustrated control unit, the worm gear 22 is rotated to forward power through the first worm wheel gear 22, the second worm wheel gear 22′, and the spur gear 23 for a lock stopper unit 24 to move up/down, finally.
However, since the related art electric steering lock device 1 in a vehicle is mounted and assembled such that the power is forwarded only toward a lower side of the separate mounting housing 30 having the drive motor 21 provided thereto through the first worm wheel gear 22, the second worm wheel gear 22′, and the spur gear 23, the related art electric steering lock device 1 in a vehicle has a problem in that the up/down direction height becomes large. The problem results in a problem in that a total height of the electric steering lock device 1 in a vehicle increases to unable to mount the electric steering lock device to a column housing to which a manual steering lock device is mounted, requiring to manufacture the column housing for the electric steering lock device and the column housing for the manual steering lock device, separately.
In the meantime, as described before, since the related art electric steering lock device 1 in a vehicle is required to mount the plurality of components 20 to the plurality of mounting places provided on the upper side of the lock body 10 and the separate mounting housing 30 one by one before assembly, to delay a time period of the assembly process very much, productivity of the product is poor.